A coup in Guinea-Bissau has been thwarted, according to the country’s president, Umaro Cissoko Embalo.
Reports indicated that gunmen had attacked a government building where Embalo had been meeting with senior members of his government. In the ensuing battle a number of members of the security forces were killed, according to Embalo.
It is unclear who the gunmen were and if they had links to the country’s military.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, is one of the world’s poorest countries and is considered by some analysts to be a ‘narco-state’ – a country where drug traffickers and cartels have a powerful influence over the country.
According to the BBC, Embalo said the attack could be linked to people involved in the drug trade, but he did not elaborate.
Last month a successful coup was carried out in Burkina Faso.